Spellbound
by Dragonflyr
Summary: HPYYH Three friends, one dark lord, a magical school, and total chaos! There's a good reason why magic isn't permited between classes. R
1. What's a Mugwump?

Yes, it's yet another Harry Potter/Yu Yu Hakusho cross-over, but I swear this one is not like any of the others. First off, I always forget the disclaimer so I better just do it now, I own nothing. Not HP, not YYH, and certainly not Kurama and Hiei. I do own Luna and I will put a curse on your family if you steal her!   
  
The story line is a little confusion, so let me clear some things up. As for the Harry Potter part, Harry defeated Voldemort, just like in the book, but he died in the process. So, let's review, Harry died a baby and Voldemort is slinking around without any one to stop him when he regains a body or whatever. Does that make sense?  
  
Now, for the Yu Yu Hakusho bit. This takes place before everything! Before Yusuke died, before any of them met, before EVERYTHING! Kurama is eleven...and the rest of that will explain itself. But just remember that when Kurama meets Koenma and Hiei, he's meeting them for the first time. Now, does THAT make sense? I sure hope it does. Now...(those of you who have read my other fics, you know what's coming)...ON WITH THE FIC!!!  
  
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He was gone. Voldemort was gone. He had tried to kill a small boy, a baby, and it had killed him. There was rejoicing throughout the wizarding community, but there was also morning. In the process of killing the dark lord, the boy responsible had also died. Many times over the next few years, scores of wizards and witches would meet at the boy's grave on the anniversary of the dark lord's defeat to morn his death.   
  
"Harry Potter," the tombstone read, "He died to save us all."  
  
----Eleven years later: New York City, New York, USA  
  
A young girl, eleven years old, sped down the street. It was summer, glorious summer. No school, no bullies at recess, just her and a lazy, warm afternoon. She had her roller blades on and was enjoying her sport of maneuvering through the busy streets. Her favorite part was when she came to a hill and would suddenly pick up speed, making it even harder to avoid collisions. She loved the thrill, the excitement, the sheer adrenaline rush.   
  
She was short for her age, just under five feet. If she had been an animal, she would have been albino. Her skin was pale and never tanned, or even burned. Her hair was pure white without even a hint of any other colors in it. As white as white could be, something that often got her teased at school. Her eyes were her most unique feature. Bright violet orbs that seemed to always be sparkling. Her real name was Prudence Campbell, but she hated that name and made everyone call her Luna. There was a very good reason for this nick name, but she never told anyone.   
  
"Luna!" a voice called. She turned, grabbing a parking meter to stop herself.   
  
"What?!" she called at the figure standing at the opposite end of the street.   
  
"Mom wants you home, NOW!" it called. Luna sighed and started back. She was not going to enjoy this. Going down the hills was fun, but going back up was another story.   
  
-()-()-()  
  
It was a good half an hour before Luna found herself at her house once more. She opened the door, removing her skates and setting them off to the side.   
  
"I'm home!" she called.  
  
"It's about time!" her aunt Molly called from the kitchen. Luna took a step forward, and just barely jumped out of the way in time to avoid being hit by her skates, which had flown into the open closet, the door slamming behind them.   
  
"How many times have I told you!?!" Aunt Molly huffed, hands on her hips. She had appeared in the hallway, a wand clutched in one hand.   
  
"Put my skates away, I know," Luna sighed, silently thanking God the flying skates hadn't decapitated her.   
  
"Remember next time!" Aunt Molly said hotly as she turned back to the kitchen. Luna sighed and followed. She had lived with her aunt and three cousins since she was three. Her aunt came from a pure blooded wizarding family, but somehow her sister, Luna's mother, had been born a Muggle. She had married a Muggle and they had thought they had had a Muggle daughter. At least, until Luna accidentally made a group of random objects around the room levitate as entertainment when she was board on day. After her parents died in a subway accident, Luna had come to live here. Her past had a few other twists as well, but that was always as much as she ever told anyone that asked, maybe leaving out the part concerning wizard terms and magic if the asker happened to be a Muggle.   
  
"You got an owl. The letter's on the table," Aunt Molly said over her shoulder as she turned back to the spaghetti she was preparing.   
  
Luna picked up the envelope. It was made of parchment and there was a red wax seal on the back. It was addressed to "Miss. Prudence "Luna" Campbell. Out roller blading. 600 Main Street. New York City, New York, USA"   
  
Luna's heart skipped a beat, it was her reply; her letter from Hogwarts saying if they would except her. Her hands trembled as she broke the seal on the back. Due to special circumstances, all the wizarding schools in America had rejected her, which was probably just as well considering that Hogwarts was possibly the best school in the world. They had been told that Dumbledore was a kind man and would accept them, despite her...condition. She prayed that was true. Slowly, she removed the sheets of parchment inside, unfolded them, and began to read to herself.   
  
"HOGWARTS SCHOOL of WITCHCRAFT and WIZARDRY," was at the top of the letter. Nervously, she moved her eyes down to the rest of the print. "Headmaster: Albus Dumbledore. (Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sor., Chf. Warlock, Supreme Mugwump, International Confed. of Wizards)" Luna didn't know what a "Supreme Mugwump" was, but it sure sounded impressive. She held her breath as she continued reading.   
  
"Dear Miss. Campbell,  
  
We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment. Term begins on September 1. We await your owl by no later than July 31.  
  
Yours sincerely,  
  
Minerval McGonagall,  
  
Deputy Headmistress."  
  
Luna stared at the letter, reread it three more times, then let out a triumphant "Alright!" that caused spaghetti to adorn the walls.   
  
-----Tokyo, Japan.   
  
Kurama sat quietly reading a book under a tree in the backyard. He was totally absorbed in the text; completely oblivious to everything else around him. A leaf fell on his shoulder and he reached up absently to brush it away, until he realized it was much to big to be a leaf. Confused, he closed the book and looked at the letter that had fallen on him. The envelope was of parchment and there was a red seal on the back. The address read "Mr. Shuichi Minamino. Reading under a tree. 1732 Fourth Street. Tokyo, Japan."  
  
Even more confused then before, Kurama broke the seal and retrieved the parchment inside. "HOGWARTS SCHOOL of WITCHCRAFT and WIZARDRY," the first line read. It was followed by "Headmaster: Albus Dumbledore. (Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorc., Chf. Warlock, Supreme Mugwump, International Confed. of Wizards.)" Kurama continued reading, wondering what in the world a "Mugwump" was.  
  
"Dear Mr. Minamino,  
  
We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment. Term begins on September 1. We await your owl by on later than July 31.   
  
Yours sincerely,  
  
Minerval McGonagall,  
  
Deputy Headmistress."  
  
"What?" Kurama asked aloud, completely perplexed by this mysterious letter. Was it a hoax? No, who would go to such lengths for a simple prank? He sat there, reading and rereading the letter for several minutes before he was interrupted.   
  
"Oh my," a voice made him look up. His mother was standing there. She had brought some lemonade out for her son, only to find him reading the very thing she had been checking the mail for everyday for the past few weeks. "So you are one then. I always knew you were."   
  
"One what?" Kurama asked.   
  
"A wizard," she said simply. Kurama's jaw dropped. She knew? How did she know? More importantly, why didn't she tell him?!  
  
"Come on, " she said, extending a hand for him to take, "I think we should discuss this inside." Kurama took her hand and stood up, leaving his book forgotten in the grass. She lead him inside and sat down at the kitchen table. Kurama sat down across from her, more than ready for some answers.   
  
"Shuichi," his mother began, but she stopped, not sure how to continue. "Your father," she said finally, "was a wizard. But...he was not of a pure blood family. His parents were regular people, not magical, and...well, those were bad times you see, and..." she trailed off not sure how to continue.   
  
"What?" Kurama asked, he had been asking that a lot today.  
  
"There was this one wizard, a very bad one. We don't say his name. He's known as You-Know-Who. He didn't like people like your father, people who weren't pure blood wizards. So..." she trailed off again, tears beginning to surface in her eyes.   
  
"You-Know-Who killed him, didn't he?" Kurama said quietly.  
  
Shiori almost laughed. "I guess I should have expected that, you always were smart. We had been living in England at the time, so your name was added to the Hogwarts list. But, after your fathers death, I couldn't stay. You-Know-Who's base of operations was in London, and I was afraid he might come back...after you. I don't have any magic in me, and so you would have been considered just as impure as you father. So, we left and moved here. You-Know-Who was overthrown shortly after, but there were to many memories of your father in England and I couldn't go back."  
  
Kurama stared. This was definitely too good to be a hoax, but it was still to insane to believe. He, the infamous Yoko Kurama, had somehow inherited magic when he was reborn? It was so hard to believe. And what was all this about England? His mother had definitely been in Japan when he entered her womb, when did they move? So many questions buzzed around his head, it was making him dizzy.   
  
"I suppose we'll have to go to Diagon Alley. It's a good thing your so good at English," Shiori said absently.   
  
"What?" Kurama asked for what felt like the millionth time.   
  
"Diagon Alley, it's the best place to get supplies for Hogwarts. It suppose we'll have to book a flight to England. And hurry too. It's already July 10th. If we don't get an owl in soon it will be too late," his mother continued, but Kurama was barely listening. There were so many other thoughts fighting for dominance in his head he couldn't concentrate on his mother's words at all.   
  
-()-()-()  
  
It was nearly two in the morning. Kurama sat at his desk, reading the supplies list for Hogwarts for the tenth time. He couldn't sleep, there was too much activity in his head.   
  
"HOGWARTS SCHOOL of WITCHCRAFT and WIZARDRY," this paper was headed just like the last. He continued reading.   
  
"Uniform.  
  
First-year students will require:  
  
1. Three sets of plain work robes (black)  
  
2. One plain pointed hat (black) for day wear  
  
3. One pair of protective gloves (dragon hide or similar)  
  
4. One winter cloak (black, silver fastenings)  
  
Please note that all pupils' clothes should carry name tags.  
  
Course Books.  
  
All students should have a copy of each of the following:  
  
'The Standard Book of Spells (Grade 1)'  
  
by Miranda Goshawk  
  
'A History of Magic'  
  
by Bathilda Bagshot  
  
'Magical Theory'  
  
by Adalbert Waffling  
  
'A Beginners' Guide to Transfiguration'  
  
by Emeric Switch  
  
'One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi'  
  
by Phyllida Spore  
  
'Magical Drafts and Potions'  
  
by Arsenius Jigger  
  
'Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them'  
  
by Newt Scamander  
  
'The Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Protection'  
  
by Quentin Trimble  
  
Other Equipment:  
  
1 wand  
  
1 cauldron (pewter, standard size 2)  
  
1 set of glass or crystal phials  
  
1 telescope  
  
1 set of brass scales  
  
Students my also bring an owl OR a cat OR a toad.  
  
PARENTS ARE REMINDED THAT FIRST YEARS ARE NOT ALLOWED THEIR OWN BROOMSTICKS."  
  
Kurama sighed and laid the paper on the desk. This was all to ridiculous to be true. He nearly screamed when a puff of smoke exploded in the middle of the room.   
  
"Hello Kurama," the figure in the smoke said. Kurama, who had stooped to set the chair he had toppled over when he stood up back on its feet, looked up at the mention of his name. The smoke cleared to reveal a toddler in a blue uniform with a bright blue pacifier resting securely between his teeth.   
  
"Who are you?" Kurama asked, wondering how this baby A) talked, B) floated, and C) knew his name.   
  
"I am Koenma, ruler of the Spirit World," Koenma answered proudly.   
  
"What do you want with me?" Kurama asked hesitantly, he hadn't done anything wrong, at least, not since his rebirth as Shuichi Minamino.   
  
"To be honest, I need your help," Koenma said. His eyes strayed to the letter on the desk. "Oh, good. I see you've gotten your letter already then."  
  
"Yes, I have. What does Spirit World have to do with that?" Kurama asked.   
  
"Well, you see, everyone who receives a letter is meant to attend Hogwarts. Every now and then, a demon will get a letter as well. In these cases, it's usually necessary for us to assign them a...partner who also received a letter. You know, to make sure that the demon attends the school and does everything he's suppose to and, well, doesn't kill anyone," Koenma explained.   
  
"And you want me to be some demon's chaperone, is that it?" Kurama asked, realizing what the minute ruler was driving at.   
  
"Right!" Koenma confirmed with a smile. "You'll love him. His name's Hiei. He's a fire demon. He was trying to track down the infamous Yoko Kurama, so, naturally, I thought that would be the best place to start when looking for a partner. So, I tracked you down myself, and you can only imagine my joy at finding you had been accepted to the school as well and so would be a perfect partner for that hot-headed demon!"  
  
"What if I refuse?" Kurama asked.   
  
Koenma's face fell. "You can't! Please! It's too close to the reply deadline for me to find someone else, and they wont let him in if he doesn't have a partner by then!"  
  
"Alright, alright," Kurama put up a hand to silence the toddler's rantings. "If it's that important then I suppose it couldn't hurt."   
  
"Excellent!" Koenma cried. Before Kurama could say another word, the baby floated to him, placed a hand on his shoulder, and the two disappeared in a puff of smoke.   
  
-()-()-()  
  
When the smoke cleared, Kurama found himself in what must have been Koenma's office. A short demon with crimson eyes and spiky black hair, dressed all in black, stood off to the side, arms folded casually in front of him.   
  
"You must be Hiei," Kurama said.  
  
"Hn. And I suppose you are Kurama," Hiei responded. Kurama nodded and Hiei pushed himself off the wall, walking towards him. He circled Kurama once, looking him over, and stopped in front of him.   
  
"Definitely not what I was expecting," he remarked as he folded his arms once more.   
  
"What were you expecting?" Kurama asked.  
  
Hiei shrugged. "I don't know, it's just disappointing, that's all. But I think that trick you pulled, taking refuge in the human world, is what disappoints me the most. I can tell just by looking at you that it's made you soft."  
  
Kurama was too tired and he had too many other thoughts at the moment to put up with this kind or ridicule. He narrowed his eyes slightly at Hiei and said coolly "If that's all you have to say to me I think I'll go home."  
  
"One more thing," Hiei said. Kurama, who had half turned to order Koenma to take him home, turned back to meet Hiei's blood red gaze.   
  
"What?" Kurama asked, he had grown to hate that word.   
  
"What's a Mugwump?" 


	2. School Supplies Part 1

Did you all like the first chapter? I hope you did! A few things I realized I didn't explain too well. First: Kurama is eleven, so his hair is shorter, and his height is too. Granted, his hair is probably longer than the norm, about shoulder length really, but it's still not as long as we're all used to. Second: the whole thing will Hiei. Every now and then, a demon shows signs of magic. When that happens, it was decided a long time ago that they should go to the best school, Hogwarts. That's why Hiei got a letter. Also, Dumbledore is probably the only headmaster who would let a demon in his school anyway. Make sense? Good. Now...ONE WITH THE FIC!!!  
  
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Luna sat in the window seat of the 747 jet airplane. She had her headphones turned up so as to block out the noise around her. And there was an exceptional amount of noise. Her whole family was accompanying her on her trip to England. That meant Aunt Molly, Uncle Xander, and her three cousins: Jason and Nick, the ten-year-old twins, and Amy, who was thirteen and already attending an American school for magic.   
  
Uncle Xander, a thin, tall man with blue eyes and blond hair, worked at the AMA, or American Magical Association. He was the head of International Affairs. Because of this, they had gotten a discount on the plane tickets. Amy, who was sitting next to Luna and who was also tall, thin, and had blue eyes and blond hair, was completely ignoring her cousin for getting into what was hailed as the best school in the world. Because she was American, Amy had not been accepted into the school when she tried to get in. But Luna on the other hand had certain special circumstances in her favor.   
  
Jason and Nick, who also carried the family traits of height, slim build, blue eyes, and blond hair, couldn't care less about the fact that Luna had gotten into Hogwarts. They were only concerned with what trouble they would cause while in England. They were already planning to visit the Queen's palace and torture the guards outside. They had always read that the guards were not aloud to move, and they had snuck plenty of Dung Bombs and other magical jokes into their suitcases to test that story with. At the moment, Aunt Molly, a plump woman with dark eyes and black hair, was trying to keep the twins from playing tag in the aisles.   
  
Luna rolled her eyes at all of this as the next song on her CD started. Linkin Park's "Faint" boomed in her ears as she turned to stare out the window at the approaching airport. Fifteen grueling hours on the airplane and now they were finally landing. Thank the Lord.   
  
-()-()-()  
  
Kurama had never been to London. He'd never been outside Japan at all. He stared out the taxi window, taking in every detail of the city. Next to him, Hiei grunted in boredom. Koenma had convinced him to take Hiei with him on his trip to Diagon Alley and somehow or other Kurama had persuaded his mother that Hiei was a school mate who currently resided in an orphanage and had no other way to get his school supplies other than to come with them. The plane trip had been...interesting. Hiei definitely distrusted planes. Kurama had been forced to spend the first twenty minutes explaining to the skeptical fire demon how the plane could stay in the air. Kurama was NOT looking forward to the return trip.   
  
"Here. This is good," his mother said from the front seat as the driver stopped the car. His mother paid the fair and the three of them exited the vehicle. Kurama looked up to see a small, dirty-looking pub directly ahead. A sign above the door read the "Leaky Cauldron." He almost didn't see it. It simply didn't stand out at all. No one else seemed to notice it. They saw the book shop to the right and the record shop to the left, but not the pub in-between.   
  
"That's it?" Kurama asked in disbelief.  
  
"That's it," Shiori replied with a smile, leading them forward. Inside were many witches and wizards drinking or talking, just as one would expect in a British pub. Shiori led them past all this, through a door, and outside into a small courtyard behind the Leaky Cauldron, surrounded on tree sides by walls and the fourth by the pub itself. It was completely empty save for a trash can up against the wall in front of them.   
  
"Oh, darn it!" Shiori suddenly burst out in despair.   
  
"What?" Kurama asked.   
  
"I forgot. You need a wand to get into Diagon Alley," she said, staring helplessly at the wall before them.   
  
"Don't worry. We'll just wait for someone to come along. There must be others here to buy supplies today," Kurama said in a hopeful tone.   
  
"Hn," Hiei grunted, leaning against the right wall and folding his arms.  
  
-()-()-()  
  
"Here it is! The Leaky Cauldron," Aunt Molly announced as she lead her husband and their band of following children into the pub. They walked past everyone, ignoring them all, save for the man who had fallen asleep who Jason and Nick paused to poke. Aunt Molly lead them all into the back courtyard, where three people stood.   
  
Luna looked at them all carefully. The first was short, shorter even then her, dressed all in black. He had spiky black hair, that must have taken an exceptional amount of hair gel to keep up, with a white star burst in the middle. Another boy stood there as well. He had red hair that flowed almost to his shoulders and bright emerald eyes. The first boy made Luna slightly nervous, but this boy had the opposite affect. Luna had the immediate impression that this red-haired youth was as polite and nice as they come. A third person, an older woman with dark eyes and black hair about Aunt Molly's age, was standing by the trash can by the opposite wall.   
  
-()-()-()  
  
Kurama looked up as six new people entered the courtyard. They was a middle aged man and woman accompanied by two girls and two, younger boys. The man, young boys, who looked like twins, and older girl were all tall, slim, and had blue eyes and blond hair. The woman was plump with dark eyes and black hair. The last girl, who looked to be his age, was the strangest of the group and stood out horribly. Her skin was deathly pale and her shoulder length hair was pure white. Her eyes were a bright violet and her height was scarcely more then Hiei's.   
  
"Excuse me," Kurama said, stepping forward. "I wonder if you could help us. You see, my mother isn't a witch and my friend and myself don't have wands yet. We have no way into the alley."  
  
"Oh, of course, dear. We'd be glade to help," the woman said with a kind smile. She retrieved a wand from one of the many pockets in her coat and stepped up to the wall.   
  
"Now let's see here," she muttered to herself. "It's been so long...How do you do this again?"  
  
"Three up, two across, dear," the man that must have been her husband said.  
  
"Oh, that's right. Yes, of course. Three up..." she started at the trash can and tapped her wand along the three bricks directly above it, "and two across," she finished by tapping two bricks to the left. She then tapped the last brick three times. The brick quivered, and then it began to shift. All the bricks in the wall shifted to form an arc, the very top carrying letters that read "Diagon Alley." The group stared in stunned silence. None of them, not even Luna's magical family, had expected that. Aunt Molly broke the silence.  
  
"Well, then. We'd better get started. That's a long list to fill, Luna" she said. Then she turned to Shiori, Kurama, and Hiei. "You're not from around here are you?" Shiori shook her head. "Thought so. It's been a while, but I think I still remember my way around here. You're more then welcome to come along with us if you want."  
  
"Thank you," Shiori said with a small, respectful bow.   
  
"Um...you're welcome," Aunt Molly said hesitantly, slightly embarrassed by the bow. "Do you have any wizard money with you?"  
  
"No," Shiori informed them.   
  
"Well then, we'd best go to Gringotts first," Aunt Molly said and she began to lead the way down the street.   
  
"Do you know English?" Kurama whispered to Hiei as they followed at the back of the group. Hiei grunted.   
  
"Of course. Pitifully easy language," he said. Kurama half smiled.   
  
"Oh, and call me Shuichi today, alright?" he said, remembering that he had forgotten to instruct Hiei on doing so earlier.   
  
Hiei quirked an eyebrow at the request but muttered an obedient "Whatever."  
  
Luna slowed her steps so that she was soon at the back of the group with Kurama and Hiei.   
  
"Hogwarts?" she asked simply.  
  
Kurama nodded, then asked "Are you a first year as well?" Luna beamed and nodded.   
  
"My name's Luna," she introduced herself.   
  
"I'm Shuichi and my friend here is called Hiei," Kurama said.  
  
"I knew it," Luna exclaimed.   
  
"Knew what?" Kurama asked.   
  
"You're from some country in Asia, right? I mean, I had some suspicions with those funky accents of yours, but the names prove it!" she said triumphantly.  
  
Kurama smiled at her. "Yes. We're from Japan."  
  
"Awesome," Luna said in pure admiration.   
  
"You don't have a British accent yourself," Kurama observed.   
  
"Very good," Luna said, smiling still wider. "I'm American. From New York actually."  
  
"Who's the rest of your group?" Kurama asked.   
  
"My Aunt Molly, Uncle Xander, and my cousins. Amy, the snob, and Jason and Nick, the twins. We made sort of a 'family vacation' out of this," Luna explained. "And the woman you were with?"  
  
"My mother," Kurama explained. Luna nodded and the three looked up to see that they had arrived at the wizard bank Gringotts. It was a large white building that was a giant compared to the other shops. A goblin in uniform stood by the doors.  
  
"Wow, a goblin," Luna said in awe.   
  
"Goblin?" Kurama asked. They were scarce, even in the demon world. He had never actually seen one.  
  
"Yeah, they run Gringotts. I've read about them, but I've never seen one," Luna explained. The goblin was maybe three feet tall with a wise face and long beard. His fingers and feet were exceptionally long. He bowed as they passed through the bronze doors. Inside was another set of doors. These were silver with words engraved on them.   
  
"Enter, stranger, but take heed  
  
Of what awaits the sin of greed,  
  
For those who take, but do not earn,  
  
Must pay most dearly in their turn.  
  
So if you seek beneath our floors  
  
A treasure that was never yours,   
  
Thief, you have been warned, beware  
  
Of finding more than treasure there."  
  
"They're not kidding about the 'finding more than treasure' part," Luna whispered. "The Gringotts volts are below ground in tunnels that are miles long. If you don't get lost, then they have dragons around every other corner."  
  
Kurama turned to her in surprise, but she was already walking through the doors. Once inside they were greeted with the sight of hundreds of goblins scurrying around. Some sat behind desks while others lead customers through a door to the vaults and still others ran to and fro on some errand or another. Aunt Molly lead them to a desk where she handed over the bills Shiori handed her to be exchanged for wizard money. After the exchange was made, Shiori passed the money to her son. Kurama and Hiei stared at the strange money Kurama now held in his hand. Luna felt inclined to explain.   
  
"The little bronze ones are Knuts," Luna said, "the slightly bigger sliver ones are Sickles, and the big gold ones are Galleons. Seventeen Sickles equals a Galleon and twenty-nine Knuts equals one Sickle." Kurama nodded and put the money in his pocket.   
  
-()-()-()  
  
"Now, lets get wands first, shall we?" Aunt Molly announced once they were back on the street. "We don't all need to go. Xander, would you take Amy and the boys for some ice cream or something?" Uncle Xander nodded and led the three children in question away while Aunt Molly led the remaining group down the crowded street.   
  
She stopped in front of the last shop on the street. It was a shabby shack. A sign with peeling gold letters over the door read "Ollivanders: Makers of Fine Wands since 382 B.C." They heard a tinkle of a bell as they entered the dusty shop. Shelves made up most of it, all lined with boxes; boxes containing wands.   
  
"Good day," a voice said from the shadows surrounding nearest shelf, making them all jump.   
  
"Mr. Ollivander?" Aunt Molly called cautiously.   
  
"Yes, hello," said the old man that stepped into the light before them, his pale eyes shining. "Ah, first years," he said, walking towards Hiei, Kurama, and Luna.   
  
"You first," Mr. Ollivander declared, motioning for Hiei to step forward. Hiei did so and a tape measure flew off the desk before them. It immediately began measuring Hiei. From the fingers on his right arm to his shoulder. From his hip to the floor. Around his head. From shoulder to shoulder. Nose to mouth. And many other absurd measurements. Hiei tried to bat it away, but it moved out of reach to measure on of his spikes of hair. Luna and Kurama couldn't help but laugh.   
  
"No two Ollivander wands are the same," Mr. Ollivander said as he made his way to a nearby self, oblivious to Hiei's efforts to destroy the tape measure. The fire demon would have simply sliced it in half, if Koenma hadn't had the foresight to confiscate his katana.   
  
"Perhaps this one for you," Mr. Ollivander said as he came back with a box in his hand. The tape measure immediately ceased it's measurements and zoomed back to its original place on the desk.   
  
"Here," Ollivander continued, handing the wand to Hiei, "Beech, phoenix feather, ten inches. Go on, give it a wave."  
  
Hiei felt exceptionally stupid standing there with a ten inch stick in his hand. Waving it would only make the feeling grow.  
  
"Well, go on!" Mr. Ollivander said impatiently.  
  
Hiei gave in and feebly waved the wand. Immediately, the tape measure burst into flame.   
  
"No, definitely not," Mr. Ollivander said, snatching the wand back as everyone else stared at the burning tape measure.   
  
"Try this. Oak, dragon heart strings, seven inches," Mr. Ollivander said, handing Hiei another wand. Hiei waved it, and a gentle breeze blew through the room, lifting his hair slightly.   
  
"Ha, there we go," Mr. Ollivander said in triumph. Hiei stepped back and Mr. Ollivander turned to Kurama. "You next."  
  
Kurama stepped forward and Ollivander circled him, looking him over. He then went to a shelf and came back with a box in his hand.   
  
"Here. Maple, unicorn hair, eleven inches," he said, handing Kurama the wand. Kurama waved it, and a whole shelf exploded.   
  
"No, no. That won't do," Ollivander said, taking back the wand and looking for another. After several minutes of rummaging in the selves he came back with a new box.   
  
"Holly, dragon heart strings, eight inches," Ollivander declared, passing the wand to Kurama. Kurama waved this one as well. The chair behind the desk quivered and then did a back flip.   
  
"Interesting," Ollivander remarked, eyeing the chair with amusement, "but no."   
  
Kurama tried three more wands and managed to destroy another shelf, set fire to some parchments on the desk, and send several Knuts hurdling through the window.   
  
"My, my. This has certainly been entertaining," Ollivander said, a smile playing on his old lips. "I think this should do it. Cottonwood, phoenix feather, nine inches."  
  
Wearily, Kurama waved the wand. A warm glow emitted from the tip, lighting his face for a moment.   
  
"There! I knew we would get it!" Ollivander exclaimed as Kurama stepped back and Luna stepped forward.   
  
"Now you..." Ollivander said, circling Luna. Luna watched him, nervous about something.   
  
"Now you are an interesting case. It's not easy to find wands for your kind," Ollivander said thoughtfully.   
  
"What kind?" Kurama asked.  
  
"Wait!" Luna cried, but it was too late.   
  
"Werewolf," Ollivander said simply. There was stunned silence. Luna glared first and Ollivander and then at Kurama, wondering which one she hated more. Kurama for asking, or Ollivander for answering.   
  
"I think I have just the thing," Ollivander said, turning to disappear into a back room. Luna stared at Kurama and Hiei, who stared back.   
  
"You can't tell anyone! Understand?" she said after a moment.   
  
"What's the big deal. So you're a werewolf. So what?" Hiei asked.  
  
"So? SO?! Don't you get it?! Werewolves are monsters! Their feared and hated by the wizarding community! That's why I have to go to Hogwarts. No other school would take me! We tried every school in America. Every one! They all rejected me because of what I am. If anyone found out...I..." Luna trailed off, out of things to yell.  
  
"We won't tell anyone. I promise," Kurama said quietly after a moment.   
  
"What about him?" Luna asked, nodding at Hiei.   
  
"He promises too. Right?" Kurama turned to give Hiei a persuading stare.   
  
"Hn," Hiei replied, but it was as good as a 'yes.'  
  
"Here we go!" Ollivander said, returning with a dusty box in hand. He blew a cloud of dust off the top. "I thought this was shipped to us by mistake, but now I'm not so sure. You see, the wand chooses the witch. And I think this one was sent her because it chose you." He lifted the lid and retrieved the long wand inside.   
  
"Ebony, eleven inches," he paused and then winked as he said "with a core of werewolf hair." Hesitantly, Luna took the wand. She waved it and immediately bright sparks flew from the end. Ollivander smiled triumphantly and stepped behind the desk as Aunt Molly retrieved a handful of coins to pay him with. 


	3. School Supplies Part 2

Hello again everybody! Did you all enjoy the last chapter? I hope so, I thought it was fun. Especially the parts about Hiei and the tape measure, and Kurama making the chair do a back flip! More insanity to come, so...ON WITH THE FIC!!!  
  
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They stopped for their uniforms next. Luna was much quieter then she had been before. She could hardly believe that these boys knew her secret, knew she was a werewolf, and still here they were shopping with her. It really wasn't a big deal to them, something that was totally unheard of.   
  
They entered Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions, Kurama and Hiei branching off to find their own robes while Aunt Molly and Shiori accompanied Luna in finding hers. In twenty minutes they were assembled once more outside the shop, Aunt Molly carrying the loads of new robes.   
  
The next stop was a shop called Flourish and Blotts where they sold every kind of magical book you could ever imagine. Once they had gathered all the required books they set off to get cauldrons. Kurama wanted to stay and look at the rest of the books in the shop but Hiei and Luna, who wanted to just get the shopping over all ready, dragged him away. After getting the cauldrons, plus the scales and three collapsible telescopes, they stopped in another shop to buy trunks. They each got a sturdy trunk with each of their names engraved on a brass plate on the lid. They gladly dumped the items they had bought into the trunks and slammed the lids shut.   
  
"Now, what about pets?" Aunt Molly asked.  
  
"Pets?" Hiei asked, as thought the word implied some horrible form of torture.   
  
"Yeah," Luna said, "The supply list says you can have an owl or a cat or a toad."  
  
"I'll pass," Hiei grunted.   
  
"I suppose we'll need an owl to send a letter to the school," Kurama said with a glance at his mother, who nodded in agreement. That said, the group set off for Eeylops Owl Emporium.   
  
"Are you going to get an owl?" Kurama asked Luna as they entered.   
  
"We already have two at home. Both great horned owls. The twins named them, unfortunately," she replied.   
  
"What did they name them?" Kurama asked.   
  
Luna rolled her eyes. "Siegfried and Roy."  
  
Kurama chucked slightly as he looked around at all the cages. There were more types of owls here then he had ever seen. Some species were entirely new to him, taking into account the fact that not many owls reside in Japan. He finally decided on a small, brown owl that blinked sleepily at him when he lifted the cage.   
  
"What are you going to call it?" Luna asked as they left the shop.  
  
Kurama was silent for a moment, before saying "Kuronue."  
  
"Cool name," Luna said with a smile.  
  
-()-()-()  
  
After meeting Uncle Xander, Nick, Jason, and Amy at the archway marking the entrance to Diagon Alley, the group had decided to have dinner together at a nearby restaurant. After dropping their trunks, along with Kurama's new owl, off at the hotel Luna's family was staying at, and getting some bizarre looks from the taxi driver, the group set off to eat.   
  
The eight of them sat at a long table in the middle of the restaurant. Luna, Kurama, and Hiei all sat at the end. Kurama had keep his questions concerning Luna to himself for sometime, but now he felt that he had to ask before they parted company and he lost his chance.   
  
"If you don't mind me asking, how did you become a werewolf? I looked at the "Fantastic Beasts and Were to Find Them," book when I bought it, but it didn't mention werewolves," Kurama said, his voice just low enough that no one else at the table would be able to hear over the noise in the rest of the restaurant. Luna was startled by the question for a moment, but then she smiled at him.   
  
"I don't mind," she said, her voice also lowered. "You see, my parents died when I was little and I've been living with my aunt and her family ever since. Before the twins were born, both Aunt Molly and Uncle Xander worked. That was before Uncle Xander worked for the AMA and he didn't make very much money. Anyway, since they both worked, Amy and I spent a lot of time in day cares and stuff. On day I got in a fight with some kid and he bit me." With this, she rolled up her left sleeve to reveal the brown outline of a bit mark on her skin. "It took forever to heal and I'll probably always have a scare," she said, pulling her sleeve down again. "Next thing I know," she continued, "the full moon rolls around and I sprout hair and attack the cat."  
  
There was silence for a moment, then Luna lowered her head and said in almost a whisper, "I can't control myself when I transform. In fact, I don't have any memory of what happens when I transform. I have to go lock myself in a room and pray that I don't get out." Again, there is silence, then she looks up and says "So, what's your story?" Kurama hesitated, glancing at his mother who is sitting at the opposite end of the table, talking with Aunt Molly.   
  
"Come on," Luna persists, "I told you my story."  
  
"Alright, but this will sound slightly...strange," Kurama warned her.   
  
"Try me," she said.   
  
Kurama nodded and began. "I used to be a thief, a spirit fox known as Yoko Kurama. One day, a careless mistake left me mortally wounded and my spirit took refuge in the human world, entering the body of my mother's unborn child before it could acquire a proper soul. My original plan was to stay only until I was ten years old, and thus be able to harness my spirit energy. But..."  
  
"But?" Luna urged him on, not showing any signs that this story was in any way out of the ordinary.   
  
"But one day I fell while trying to reach a coffee can on a high self. My mother saved me, but not before seriously injuring herself. She still has the scares on her arms..." Kurama trailed off and grew silent.   
  
"One question. So, is your name Yoko or Shuichi?" Luna asked.   
  
Kurama smiled. "Kurama. You don't seem surprised by my story."  
  
Luna shrugged. "I read stuff about demons and the demon world. Besides, once you go through what I do every month, it takes a lot to surprise you. What about you, Hiei?"   
  
"Hn," Hiei grunted, turning his attention to his food and ignoring his companions who were now staring at him.   
  
"He's a demon as well. You see, whenever a demon shows signs of magic, they go to Hogwarts. However, those demons require...how did Koenma put it?... "partners." I am Hiei's partner. It's my responsibility to make sure he doesn't cause any trouble or anything," Kurama explained.   
  
"Oh, so you're baby-sitting him?" Luna asked.   
  
"Basically," Kurama said as Hiei looked up at Luna with a murderous glint in his eye.   
  
"What is Hogwarts like?" Kurama asked as he started eating his own meal.  
  
"No idea," Luna answered. "Aunt Molly has been to Diagon Alley once or twice before, but she's never been to Hogwarts herself. Neither has anyone else I know. I did manage to find a book on it though. "Hogwarts, A History." It gives you a vague idea."  
  
"What's it say?" Kurama asked.   
  
"Well," Luna started, trying to remember everything she had read. "There's the houses for starters."  
  
"Houses?" Hiei asked, surprising them both. He had been quiet for so long, they had forgotten he was there.   
  
"There are four," Luna said. "Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, Gryffindor, and Slytherin. The first thing they do at the feast on the first day of school every year is sort the first years into the houses with something called the 'Sorting Hat.' Hufflepuff is for the hard workers, Ravenclaw is for smart people who like to learn, Gryffindor for the brave, and Slytherin for the cunning. They all have mascots too. Hufflepuff is a badger, Ravenclaw an eagle, Gryffindor a lion, and Slytherin a snake. I don't care what they say about Slytherin though, no one but evil wizards has ever come from that house. You-Know-Who was in that house!"  
  
"Who's You-Know-Who?" Hiei asked. Kurama suddenly remembered he had neglected to tell Hiei about the dark wizard, something Koenma had stressed. Luna on the other hand stared in shock.   
  
"You don't know who You-Know-Who is?" she asked in disbelief.   
  
"I thought you said it took a lot to surprise you," Kurama said with a sly smile, but Luna stared at him seriously.   
  
"This is a lot, Kurama. This is a big deal; a HUGE deal! How could you not know who You-Know-Who is?" Luna cried.   
  
"If you'd tell me, then I'd know," Hiei said hotly.   
  
"You-Know-Who is..." Luna paused, looking around and lowering her voice still more. "The dark lord...Voldemort," she winced as she said the name.   
  
"What's so special about him?" Hiei asked.   
  
"He killed hundreds of people, had people living in fear for years. He was finally stopped eleven years ago, but the time that he was in power was terrible. No one with even a hint of Muggle in their family tree was safe. He wasn't too found of demons either," she said.  
  
"He killed my father," Kurama added quietly after a moment.   
  
"But he's dead, right?" Hiei asked.   
  
Luna shrugged. "Some say he is, but I don't think so. He was too powerful to just up and die like that. No, I don't think he's dead. He's still alive somewhere, too weak to stand and no doubt on the very brink of death, but alive."  
  
There was silence before Hiei spoke again. "This Volde-"  
  
"Don't say his name!" Luna hissed violently, cutting him off.   
  
"Why not?" Hiei said angrily.   
  
"Just don't, okay? People are still scared and we've just always been taught to never say his name. So please don't ," she said.  
  
Hiei sighed in frustration. "Fine, You-Know-Who, who stopped him?"  
  
"A boy," Luna said. "His name was Harry Potter. He wasn't even a year old at the time. For some reason, when You-Know-Who tried to kill him, the spell backfired and hit him instead."  
  
"What happened to the boy?" Kurama asked.   
  
"He died. He was only a baby after all," Luna said, staring down at her food, her appetite gone. They sat in silence for a few moments, neither eating nor looking at each other, just sitting.   
  
"Luna?" Kurama asked eventually.   
  
"What?" Luna asked.   
  
"The supply list said something about first years not being allowed broomsticks, and I saw a shop selling them at Diagon Alley. What's the reason behind that?"  
  
Luna smiled, glade for a change of subject. "That would be Quidditch."  
  
"What's that?" Kurama asked. Hiei looked up from his plate, interested in the strange-sounding sport.   
  
"It's kind of like basket ball on broomsticks," Luna said. "There are seven players on a team: Three Chasers, two Beaters, a Keeper, and a Seeker. There are three hoops placed on each side of the field. The Chasers try to get the small red ball, called the Quaffle, into these hoops to score points. The Keeper guards the hoops, like a goalie in soccer. Two slightly smaller, black balls called Bludgers rocked around the field and try to hit the players. The Beaters each have short bats and it's their job to hit the Bludgers towards the other team and try to knock them off their brooms. Follow me so far?"  
  
"Chasers put the Quaffle through the hoops for points. Keepers guard the hoops. And Beaters hit the Bludgers at the other players. Right?" Kurama said slowly.   
  
Luna nodded. "Right. Alright, then there's the Seeker. The Seeker has the most important job. There's this tiny ball, about the size of a golf ball, called the Snitch that zooms around the field, out of sight most of the time. When it appears, it's the Seeker's job to catch it. Once the Snitch is caught, the game is over and the player that catches the Snitch gets his team 150 points. Games don't end until the Snitch is caught, meaning there's no time limit on a game. Games can go for as short as a few minutes, or as long as a week, or even longer."  
  
"Sounds like fun," Kurama commented.   
  
"It is. At Hogwarts, there is a Quidditch team for every house and they have a cup to win and everything. But first years aren't allowed to play. That's why the supply list said no brooms," Luna said, her voice loosing most of it's pep as she admitted she couldn't play.   
  
"Kids, I think it's about time to be leaving," Aunt Molly called from the end of the table. Luna and Kurama nodded while Hiei gave Aunt Molly a stare that promised a swift death for calling him "kid."  
  
After taking a taxi to the hotel Luna and her family was staying at and retrieving their trunks, Kurama and Hiei waited on the curb while Shiori hailed a taxi to take them to their own hotel.   
  
"I guess I'll see you at Hogwarts," Luna said awkwardly as a taxi pulled up and the driver got out to help Shiori load the trunks in the car, giving her a bewildered look as he did so.   
  
"I look forward to it," Kurama said with a smile. Luna smiled back. Hiei only grunted his trademark "Hn."   
  
With a few final waves good-bye, Kurama, Hiei, and Shiori climbed into the taxi and sped off down the dark, London street. Luna stood on the curb, watching until the car was out of sight. 


	4. The Hogwarts Express

Hey, I'm back for another chapter! I just got the soundtrack to the third Harry Potter movie, it ROCKS!!! Check it out! Now, on to Platform 9 3/4!  
  
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The return trip to England two months later was not much better then the first one, for anyone. Hiei still distrusted planes and all but drove Kurama crazy, and Luna's dysfunctional family was as spontaneous as ever. It was quarter to eleven when Luna found her two friends wondering around King's Cross.  
  
"Hey!" she called excitedly, rushing towards them wile awkwardly pushing her cart laden with her trunk. Kurama and Hiei also had carts, Kurama's owl, Kuronue, perched on top in his cage.   
  
"Luna," Kurama greeted her with a smile. Hiei acted as though he didn't notice her, so she ignored him as well, turning her full attention on Kurama.  
  
"You look lost," she noticed, her voice holding a slight tone of teasing. She had already guessed what was confusing her tall friend who stood before her staring around the station. Shiori stood a little behind them, also looking around curiously.  
  
"We are a little lost," Kurama admitted. "You would happen to know where-"  
  
"Platform 9 3/4 is?" Luna finished with a smile. Kurama nodded and Hiei spared her a glance.  
  
"Follow me," she instructed. With Kurama, Hiei, and Shiori in tow, Luna lead them to the barrier between platforms 9 and 10. Her family stood there already, waiting for them. Nick and Jason were running circles around Aunt Molly who was red in the face from yelling at them and Amy was trying not to look too interested in anything. Uncle Xander was missing.   
  
"Xander had work today and couldn't come. He didn't plan ahead and used up all his vacation time when we came for school supplies," Luna explained before Kurama had a chance to ask.   
  
"How exactly do we get to the platform?" he said instead.   
  
"Easy. Through there," Luna said casually, pointing to the barrier.   
  
"That's solid brick," Hiei snorted.  
  
Luna only shook her head. "Oh he of little faith," she sighed. "Here, watch. Jason! Nick! Go through the barrier!" she called to her twin cousins. They were all to happy to oblige. They gave each other a quick smile, then lowered their heads like charging rams and ran full speed for the barrier. Kurama had to force himself not to look away, not wanting to see the boys split their heads open on the brick.   
  
The twins were in front of the barrier now, they would hit it any second. But the crash never came. Instead, the two passed through the barrier and vanished. Kurama, Hiei, and Shiori all stared in shock while Luna smiled.   
  
"Isn't magic great?" she asked with a laugh. "Now, if you're scared, it's best to close your eyes," she instructed as she leaned forward and prepaired to run at the barrier.   
  
"Scared?" Hiei scoffed, but Luna ignored him. She wouldn't show it, but she was scared. Even with magic, only ghosts could walk through walls. This was a special barrier that was an exception to that rule and she knew it, but her mind was still nervously telling her that she would hit the brick and bounce off.   
  
"See you on the other side," she said. She took a deep breath and forced her legs into a run. The wall came up before her, looming there like some horrible monster. She squeezed her eyes shut and forced herself to keep running. There was a spit second of silence as she passed through the barrier, then she was enveloped in noise once more as she opened her eyes to see a deep scarlet steam engine with 'Hogwarts Express' printed on it. She sighed in relief and waited for her friends to join her.   
  
---------------------------------------------------  
  
Kurama, Hiei, and Shiori were still staring at the solid wall Luna had disappeared into.   
  
"Well, it seems safe enough," Kurama said after a moment, more to assure himself then anything else.   
  
"Hn," Hiei grunted. He then pushed his cart until it was aligned with the wall, then he took off at a run. He made sure to keep his pace at a human's speed so as not to draw attention. In seconds, he too had passed through the barrier, with his eyes open.   
  
Kurama gave his mother a reassuring I'll-be-alright glance, then turned to the barrier. He started towards it, slowly at first, but picking up speed as he went. The barrier was coming closer. He was in front of it now and moving too fast to slow down. He closed his eyes, waiting for the crash. But, as with the others, there was no crash. The wall came and went and Kurama found himself on a whole different platform. He glanced behind him to see an arch with a sign reading 'Platform Nine and Three-Quarters.'  
  
"Kurama!" a voice called his name. He looked up to see Luna waving at him from one of the train's windows. He pushed past the crowed and soon found the compartment on the train Luna had waved from. Hiei was there as well, staring out the window and ignoring them all. Luna helped Kurama store his trunk with hers and Hiei's before they too took a seat.   
  
No sooner had they sat down then the train whistle blew and they began to move slowly. Luna opened the window and she and Kurama waved good-bye to Shiori, Aunt Molly, Nick, Jason, and Amy as the platform began to disappear behind them. Once Platform 9 3/4 was completely out of sight, the two sat down once more. There was silence for a few moments in the compartment, an uncomfortable silence. Much to Kurama's and Luna's surprise, it was Hiei who spoke first.   
  
"How long is the train ride?" he asked, still staring out the window.   
  
"Um...I don't know. Till sometime after dark I think," Luna said hesitantly, taken aback that Hiei had spoken to her. At that moment there was a sound of movement outside the compartment and the door opened.   
  
"Well, well, well. If it isn't Miss. Campbell," a boy, another first year, sneered. He had light red hair, a much more orange shade then Kurama's, and light blue eyes. He was accompanied by a few more boys that were trailing behind him, and even a group of girls.   
  
"Jake," Luna returned, her voice holding a new note of anger that Kurama and Hiei had never heard before. She stood up to face the newcomer.  
  
"You know him?" Kurama asked.  
  
"Unfortunately. Jake Darsel. His dad works for the Ministry of Magic's board of International Affairs. He loves to make things tuff for Xander," Luna explained.  
  
"You're Uncle's pathetic," Jake spat.  
  
"Better then being a sleezball like your dad!" Luna countered. Jake glared at her, but then turned to Kurama and Hiei.  
  
"You should chose your friends more wisely. This mutt is a sorry excuse for a human being, let alone a werewolf!" Jake said slyly. Jake's crowd of followers gasped and Luna went red.   
  
"Oh, I'm sorry. I just let your little secret out didn't I?" Jake snickered, turning back to Luna. He smiled at her darkly for a moment, then turned and left, his group following and glancing at Luna as they passed. They heard him give a howl from down the hall and his followers started shouting things like "Better stock up on silver!" and "Be careful of the full moon!"  
  
Luna slammed the compartment door shut with a BANG! and sat down. She stared out the window, her face still red with anger and embarrassment.  
  
"Now he's ruined everything," she muttered.  
  
"I'm sure it's not all that bad," Kurama tried to comfort her.  
  
"Not that bad?! You don't know him. Now him and his little gang will go around and tell everyone! No one's suppose to know except the teachers! This year is going to be hell now, all thanks to him!" She turned to stare out the window again and was silent.   
  
By the time Luna had begun to calm down a little, a smiling woman appeared outside their compartment with a cart laden with all kinds of pastries and treats. Luna eagerly searched for her money and she and Kurama combined their remaining Knuts and Sickles to buy a little of everything from the cart.   
  
"Here, try on of these," Luna offered, throwing a chocolate frog at Hiei. Hiei stared at the box for a moment, then opened it. He nearly jumped out of his seat when the chocolate amphibian inside hopped on his shoulder. Kurama and Luna both laughed.  
  
"Relax, it's only a spell. They're not real," Luna assured him as Hiei finally caught the frog and eyed it suspiciously before attempting to eat it. Kurama and Luna spent a great deal of the afternoon daring each other to eat Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans. Luna won when Kurama refused to touch a dark, greenish-brown one that Luna held up. In the end, it was probably a good choice considering that it almost killed Kuronue when they tried to get the little owl to eat it and see what it was.  
  
By the time they had finished their treats, and promised not to feed Kurama's owl anymore beans, it was growing dark. Luna went to the next compartment, which had a group of third-year Ravenclaw girls in it, to change while Kurama and Hiei did the same in their own compartment. After packing their other clothes away and re-securing their trunks, the train was chugging to a stop.   
  
"Welcome to Hogwarts," a voice sounded throughout the train. "Leave your luggage on the train. It will be taken care of separately."  
  
Luna, Hiei, and Kurama gave one last glance at Kuronue, who was chirping excitedly in his cage, before getting up together and following the flow of moving bodies off the train. 


	5. The Sorting Hat's Song

Before I begin, let me make on thing perfectly clear. You can't get mad at me for doing anything that happened in the Harry Potter books. I'm trying really hard not to be Harry Potter repetitive but it's not that easy and some things you just got to except and move on. Oh, and I wrote the hat song myself, aren't you so proud of me? Alright! Somehow I managed to say that without giving away this chapter! Speaking of which...ON WITH THE FIC!  
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Hiei, Kurama, and Luna stepped down onto the crowed platform the train had stopped at.  
  
"Firs' years!" a voice called, "Firs' years over here!" The three turned and stared in shock as the sight of an enormous man met their eyes. He was a giant to say the least! His height couldn't have been any less then nine feet, maybe ten!  
  
"Firs' years!" he called once more. "All firs' years come on over here!" Luna, Hiei, and Kurama exchanged semi-nervous glances before joining the group forming around this giant.  
  
"Is that all of you then?" the giant asked, looking them over. "Right then. I'm Hagrid, Keeper of Keys and Grounds here at Hogwarts. Now follow me, an' watch yer step!" Hagrid then proceeded to lead them on a path through the woods. Luna wasn't sure what had happened to the rest of the students, as far as she could tell, it was only first years following Hagrid.  
  
"Now jus' round this last bend and yeh'll have yer firs' sight o' the castle!" Hagrid called. There was a loud, simultaneous gasp as the students all caught sight of it at once. It was enormous, bigger even then demon castles, forcing even Hiei to be impressed. It had more towers then you could count in a lifetime and seemed to inspire awe even in Hagrid.  
  
"Go on down to the shore now. No more'n four to a boat!" Hagrid instructed, leading the way towards the shore by the waters edge where some twenty boats were waiting. Hagrid got in one by himself while Luna, Hiei, and Kurama claimed a boat for their own.  
  
"Everyone all snug an' secure?" Hagrid called. "Good. Now then, FORWARD!" The boats lurched forward, gliding smoothly over the water. As they came out of the woods and closer to the castle, they saw that they were moving over the surface of a massive lake. A few bubbles surfaced around the boats as they passed.  
  
"They say a giant squid lives down there," Luna said, apparently loud enough for several people in neighboring boats to lean dangerously over the side. The opposite shore drew closer and soon they were all climbing out of the boats and following Hagrid up the stone steps to gather in front of the impressively large oak doors.  
  
"Still got everyone we started with?" Hagrid asked, looking over the group on last time. "Right then, here comes the fun part." With that he raised his fist and knocked three times.  
  
Almost immediately, the door opened to reveal an older witch dressed in black robes and wearing a black, pointed hat on her head.  
  
"Thank you Hagrid, you may go now," she said. Her voice held a natural tone of authority.  
  
"Right, Professor," Hagrid said, stepping aside and disappearing through some doors to the right. The witch turned on her heals and began walking, again with an air of authority. Naturally, the group followed. She lead them up a few sets of stairs and into an empty room. The room itself was nearly as big as the entrance hall had been.  
  
"Good evening and welcome to Hogwarts. I am Professor McGonagall. The start-of-term banquet will commence shortly, but you must be sorted into houses before you take your seats. Your houses will become your home while you are here at Hogwarts. There are four: Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. While you are here, your accomplishments will earn house points, and your trouble-making will lose them. The house with the most points at the end of the year is awarded the house cup, a great honor. The Sorting Ceremony will take place in the Great Hall in a few minutes. Until then, I suggest you smarten yourselves up a little." Her speech given, Professor McGonagall turned and left.  
  
"What was that? The teacher from the black lagoon?" Luna asked, laughing slightly at her own joke.  
  
"Has anyone ever told you that you're...um...eccentric?" Kurama asked, also laughing slightly.  
  
"In America, it's called being spastic, and yes, I am and I know it," Luna said matter-of-factly. Her smile, however, quickly disappeared and she screamed in surprise as several silver, slightly transparent beings walked through the wall.  
  
"Oh, hello," one of them said, looking up.  
  
"Welcome to Hogwarts!" another cried, floating over the crowd. Now several other people were screaming.  
  
"Hey, I know you. You're the Gryffindor ghost, Nearly Headless Nick!" a boy behind Hiei cried.  
  
"How can you be 'nearly headless?'" Luna asked.  
  
"Like this," Nick said, grabbing his ear and pulling. His head swung as if it was on a hinge, held on by one thin strip of flesh.  
  
"I'm sorry I asked," Luna grumbled as Nick swung his head back on and floated away.  
  
Suddenly, Professor McGonagall appeared before them once more.  
  
"Come on, they're ready now. Form a line and follow me," she instructed. They obeyed and stared in wonder as the double doors before them opened, revealing the Great Hall. They stared in awe around them as Professor McGonagall lead them past the four long tables filled with students and had them stop before the one table holding what must have been the other professors. Candles floated in the air above the five tables and at first glance, it appeared that there was no ceiling. It looked exactly like the night sky they had seen from the boats.  
  
"The ceiling is bewitched to look like the sky outside. It'll be cool when it snows," Luna whispered.  
  
Professor McGonagall, who had stopped in front of the group, now set a stool before them and placed a tattered hat on it. They stared expectantly at the hat and nearly jumped when a rip in the brim opened like a mouth and the hat began to...well...sing.  
  
"I am the Hogwarts Sorting Hat,  
And I have sat here long.  
And now you too must sit here now,  
And listen to my song. A hat like me, you've never seen,  
Nor likely to again.  
I find the house that is right For all you young women and young men.  
Perhaps you belong to Gryffindor,  
With those who's bravery has no end in sight.  
With those who's hearts are pure,  
And who don't cringe at a bump in the night.  
Or maybe you're a Ravenclaw And love to learn without complain.  
You gather knowledge from everywhere,  
Saying school is not a chore, but a gain.  
Then there's gentle Hufflepuff,  
Who don't moan at a little hard work. They're willing to do anything,  
Even walk from here to New York.  
Then there's always Slytherin house,  
For those that are cunning of mind. They can solve any riddle,  
And are quick for a solution to find.  
So step right up and pull me down,  
Right over your face.  
So I can find your perfect home And put you in your proper place."  
  
With that, the hat fell silent once more. Luna, Hiei, and Kurama stared blankly at it.  
  
"It can talk," Hiei whispered weakly.  
  
"It can sing," Kurama corrected.  
  
"It could go on Broadway," Luna added.  
  
"When I call your name, sit on the stool and put on the hat," Professor McGonagall declared, unrolling a sheet of parchment. "Aaron, David," she called. David Aaron timidly approached the stool and placed the hat on his head, the brim slipping down to his neck.  
  
"RAVENCLAW!" the hat yelled. David removed the hat and ran to the now cheering Ravenclaw table.  
  
"Oh no," Luna moaned.  
  
"What?" Kurama asked as Laura Abbott was declared a Hufflepuff.  
  
"Alphabetical order," Luna explained, dreading having to be sorted before either of her friends.  
  
John Arnold was the first Slytherin, and Steven Benate joined Laura at the Hufflepuff table.  
  
"Double oh no," Luna muttered.  
  
"What now?" Hiei asked in annoyance.  
  
"She's going to call me Prudence, I know it!" Luna hissed. "I HATE being called that!"  
  
"Campbell, Prudence," Professor McGonagall suddenly called.  
  
Luna cringed as she walked forward. "I knew it!"  
  
She stepped up to the chair, trying desperately not to look nervous. She place the hat on her head and it slipped down to her noes.  
  
"Well, well," the hat's voice sounded just behind her left ear. "It's been a long time since I sorted on of you."  
  
"I know," Luna whispered under her breath, half sighing as she did so. She knew only too well how many werewolves even got a magical education if they were bitten in their youth like her.  
  
"Hmm...Hmm... Tough, very tough. You have many traits that would be good for each of the houses. Where to put you? Where to put you?" the hat was quiet for a moment. "Oh, I know. GRYFFINDOR!" The hat must have screamed the last word out loud because when Luna removed the hat, the Gryffindor table was cheering, eager to accept their first new member. Luna happily set the hat down and took a seat at the table. She received several pats on the back, a sure sign that Jake hadn't managed to tell EVERYONE her secret.  
  
Tyler Cooley was the next Gryffindor, and then the professor called "Darsel, Jacob."  
  
Jake casually waked up to the stool, the hat barely even touching his head before it declared "SLYTHERIN!" The Slytherin table cheered and Luna muttered "Of course," under her breath.  
  
Tim Dunnum became a Ravenclaw, and Erica Founder was made another Slytherin. Casi Honders was the next Gryffindor and Aaron Gunner became a Hufflepuff.  
  
"Jaganshi, Hiei," Professor McGonagall finally called.  
  
Hiei stepped up to the stool and placed the hat on his head, the cloth swallowing his head completely.  
  
"A demon!" the hat's voice chimed. "Well then, this is quite a group this year, isn't it?"  
  
"Just get on with it!" Hiei growled.  
  
"Now, now. No need to get testy. Let's see...Hmm... You are quite cunning yes, but also have many hidden traits, traits that you have never allowed to blossom. Hmm... Yes, I believe you would do best in GRYFFINDOR!"  
  
Hiei gladly removed the hat and joined the Gryffindor table. Luna was beaming at him as he took a seat across from her, but he ignored her as always.  
  
Tim Kever became a Slytherin and so did Kara Lavender.  
  
"Minamino, Shuichi," Professor McGonagall called.  
  
Kurama stepped up to the stool and allowed the hat to drop over his eyes.  
  
"Another one! My, this is an interesting group indeed," the hat exclaimed. "Lets see... You are quiet intelligent, and cunning as well, and brave, oh yes, very brave. Where should you go? Hmm..."  
  
"If it makes any difference," Kurama whispered under his breath, "I believe Luna would benefit if I were with her in Gryffindor. And I do have to keep an eye on Hiei..."  
  
"Luna?" the hat asked. "Oh, yes! The werewolf. I suppose she does deserve to keep the few friends she has. And the demon does need supervision. Alright then, GRYFFINDOR!"  
  
Kurama smiled and removed the hat, joining the Gryffindor table. Luna was beside herself with joy and Kurama couldn't be sure, but he thought he saw the shadow of a smile spread across Hiei's face. 


	6. Dumbledore's Warning

Hey, I'm back once more! Sorry I took so long to update. Before I begin, let me clear something up. First, Luna has not relation to the Luna in the fifth Harry Potter book. That happened purely by accident. If you've been paying attention, you'll notice that Luna isn't her real name anyway. I simply wanted her to have a nick-name that was something along the lines of lunar so it related her to the moon. Oh, and I did finally get to see the third Harry Potter movie last month and if you haven't see it yet you have committed a crime against nature! So now...ON WITH THE FIC!  
  
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The rest of the sorting took almost no time at all. In the end, Gryffindor received a total of ten new students; five boys, five girls. For the boys, there was Hiei and Kurama, as well as Tyler Cooley, Danny Edwards, and Trysten Waters. The girls that followed after Luna were Casi Honders, Rebecca Tousley, Jordan Matthews, and Kristy Turner. The ten new Gryffindors all sat at the end of the table closest to the teacher's table, watching as Professor McGonagall removed the Sorting Hat.   
  
"Now, before we begin our feast tonight, I would like to say a few words," an older man sitting in the center seat at the teachers tables said as he stood up. There was no doubt in any of the first years' minds that this was Professor Dumbledore, the 'Supreme Mugwump." He fit the description most people put on wizards. Long, flowing robes and graying, almost white hair that was much longer then most people ever allow it to grow. He had an air of wisdom about him, but also a strange, almost childish wink in his eye.   
  
"There is one thing I must make very clear before we all become too befuddled with our feast to listen," he continued. "This year, aside from the usual rules, which I will explain to you first years later, there is one other thing I must ask you all to do." He paused and looked out over his audience. Luna wasn't sure, but she could of sworn she saw his eyes stop on her. "It is of the utmost importance that none of you, and I mean NONE of you, venture from your beds at night during your stay here. I am aware that we usually uphold this rule, and I am equally aware that many of you break it," again, Luna felt the professor's eyes on her, "but this year, you must not, under ANY circumstances dare to break this rule. The punishment will be much more sever then it has in previous years...and it might not be us doing the punishing." There was a murmur throughout the hall as everyone wondered at these words.   
  
"Now," Dumbledore said, clapping his hands and allowing the dark, serious look that had entered his eyes to be replaced by the sparkle of childishness they had held before. "Let's eat!"  
  
Immediately, the empty plates on the tables blossomed with food. The first years stared in astonishment, while the older students grabbed everything they could fit onto their plates. The first years soon followed suit, discovering that there was no need to fight over food because the golden plates never ran out.   
  
"Hey, Kurama?" Luna asked as she set her overloaded plate in front of her.   
  
"Yes?" Kurama asked, also in possession of a plate piled high with everything within arm's reach.   
  
"Did you get the feeling that, during his speech, Dumbledore kept looking at...us?" she asked.  
  
Kurama nodded. "Whatever he meant by that, he clearly suspected that we would be the prime suspects to break curfew."  
  
"What did he mean by that anyway?" Tyler Cooley, who had overheard the conversation, piped up. "Especially that part at the end. You know 'and it might not be us doing the punishing." What does that mean? Is there a monster in the halls at night or something?"  
  
"Who knows here," Casi Honders put in. "I mean, between ghosts and rude paintings, and not to even mention Peeves!"  
  
"What's Peeves?" Luna asked.   
  
"Peeves is the castle poltergeist. My big brother told me about him. He loves to play pranks and tricks on everyone, not even the teachers can control him. The only person he listens to is the Slytherin house ghost, the Bloody Baron," Casi explained.   
  
Luna nodded and turned her attention back to her plate. She didn't take part in the rest of the conversation, and neither did Kurama or Hiei, but then, Hiei had been ignoring everyone to begin with. Every now and then, however, Luna would glance up at the teachers table and swear that Dumbledore was just looking away from staring at her. It sent shivers down her spine What did he know that she didn't?  
  
Finally, after what seemed like hours, days even, Dumbledore stood once more and the food vanished from the tables.   
  
"Now that we are all fed and quite ready for bed, let me make a few announcements. Mr. Filch has asked me to, once again, remind all students that there is no magic permitted in the halls between classes. He has also extended his list of items that students are forbidden to be in possession of. This list is posted outside his office, and I encourage all of you to take a look at it. The Forbidden Forest is still off limits, for those of you who seem to think otherwise," again the professor's eyes strayed to the Gryffindor table," and no students are permitted beyond it's boundaries. I believe I have already dissuaded you from wondering about the castle after dark. So now, if you first years would be kind enough to follow your prefects to your houses, I believe it is high time we all retire to our beds." As Dumbledore finished his speech, noise erupted in the hall once more as all the student's stood up at once.   
  
"First years, follow me please! First years!" a Gryffindor prefect was bellowing as the crowd swarmed towards the doors leading to the entrance hall.   
  
"That's my brother, Scott," Casi said proudly as Luna, Kurama, and Hiei followed the rest of the Gryffindor first years to crowd around Scott.   
  
"Follow me please!" Scott cried once more as he set off into the crowd. At first, the Gryffindor first years were afraid that they would lose their prefect guide, but as they entered the entrance hall, the crowd began to thin. The Slytherins were lead away, down into the dungeons, and the Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws were also lead in different directions.   
  
Luna stared around her in wonderment as Scott lead the way to the Gryffindor tower. Paintings talked amongst themselves as they watched the new students walk past, some even jumping to their neighbor's frame to get a better look. Luna was trying her best to memorize which passages they were taking, but there were so many twists and turns that she found herself lost by the time they stopped in front of a large painting of a very fat woman.   
  
"Password please," the fat lady said.   
  
"Grumblepuss," Scott said slowly and clearly. The fat lady nodded and her picture swung forward, revealing a large hole, which Scott climbed through. The first years followed, wondering who came up with the password.   
  
"This is Gryffindor Tower," Scott said, once all the first years were inside and the fat lady's portrait had swung shut once more.   
  
"We are standing in the common room," he explained, gesturing around himself. There was a fireplace surrounded by comfortable looking chairs as well as tables to do homework on and a bulletin board in the corner. There were also two stair cases at the far end of the room.   
  
"The left stair leads to the boy's dormitory, and the right to the girl's. There will be classes tomorrow, so I suggest you all get a good night's sleep," Scott finished as he started for his own dormitory, the boys following. Luna followed Casi who was leading the way to the girl's dormitory.   
  
When they entered, the girls found themselves in a plain room with five four-poster beds. Their trunks were there as well, one at the foot of each bed. Luna found her trunk and removed her pajamas from it, closing the curtains around her bed to change. No one talked, they were all too tired from the train ride and too full from the feast to talk. Once she had changed, Luna snuggled under the sheets and rested her head on the soft pillow. The last thing she saw before she fell asleep was the almost full moon outside the girl's dormitory window. It would be two days before the next full moon.   
  
-()-()-()  
  
Kurama and Hiei followed Scott up the stairs and found their own dormitory while the prefect continued up. The room was much like the girl's, plain except for one window and five four-poster beds. Kurama easily found the one with his trunk at the bottom and was glad to see Hiei's was the next bed over. At least he wouldn't have to worry about the little fire demon sneaking away in the middle of the night.   
  
The thought of sneaking away made him wonder once again about Dumbledore's words at the beginning of the feast. Why was it so important that they stay in their houses at night? Maybe Tyler was right, maybe there was something prowling the halls at night. What ever it was, Dumbledore had seemed worried that it would be him and his friends that would break the rules and venture out in the night. Why would he think that?   
  
As Kurama drew the curtains around his bed to change, still wondering about Dumbledore's warning, he wondered if, despite the head master's speech, Hiei really would try to go out in the night.   
  
"Hiei," Kurama called softly once he was dressed, drawing back the curtains a little.   
  
"What?" an agitated voice bit back.   
  
"You're not planning on going against Professor Dumbledore's warning, are you?" Kurama asked quietly, almost whispering so that the other boys wouldn't hear.   
  
"Hn," was his only reply.   
  
"Hiei, I mean it," Kurama insisted.   
  
"I can take care of myself," Hiei grumbled back.   
  
"You COULD take care of yourself before, but not now," Kurama said sternly.   
  
"What do you mean?" Hiei growled, flinging back his bed curtains to stare Kurama in the eye.   
  
"I mean, that you don't have your katana and you don't know how to use your wand yet. And I'm certain that you won't run in the face of danger. If you go out there and get cornered by whatever Dumbledore warned use about, you could be in serious trouble," Kurama explained.   
  
"HN!" Hiei grunted, closing the bed curtains once more and turning his back to the fox. "I don't want to be here in the first place. Who's going to stop me if I leave?" Kurama heard him grumble after a minute. Kurama wasn't sure what to say to that, but then he had an idea.   
  
"Fine then. I just thought you pursued strength, that's all," Kurama said slowly, suppressing a smile. Just as he had anticipated, the grumpy fire demon threw back the curtains once more.   
  
"What do you mean?" Hiei asked, unable to contain the curiosity in his voice.   
  
"Just that, not many demons have magical powers. If you were to stay and nurture your magical abilities, you could become quite strong indeed," Kurama answered, still trying not to smile.   
  
Hiei was silent. His eyes wondered to the floor as he thought about what Kurama had said. He glanced at the reincarnated thief one more time before closing the bed curtains once more. Kurama was afraid that Hiei had decided to chance leaving after all, but then he heard the shorter demon's voice mutter, "I suppose it wouldn't kill me to stay."  
  
Kurama smiled and gladly pulled back the covers on his own bed. That was one crisis avoided, but while being the 'partner' of this short-tempered demon there was sure to be plenty more. Especially tomorrow, when it came to behaving in class and listening to teachers. 


End file.
